Enniskillen girls are a credit ‘to their school, their families and themselves’ says coach
Danske Bank Girls Schools’ Cup Final
THE wet weather could do little to dampen the celebrations and delight of the Enniskillen Royal Grammar School (ERGS) Girls rugby team following their comprehensive victory in the Danske Bank Girls Schools’ Cup Final on Monday.
ERGS beat first-time finalists Assumption Grammar School, Ballynahinch 48-5 and from players to coaches there was nothing to hide the pride felt as they retained the trophy they won in 2023.
Speaking after the final co-captains, Olivia Black and Aimee Ross paid tribute to the team and support at Kingspan Stadium.
“It’s just a testament to all our hard work through the season and really proud of all the girls and they left it all out on the pitch today,” said Olivia speaking to IRFU Ulster Branch after the game.
Aimee added: “It feels amazing to bring back that cup with all our supporters there today cheering us on. We had a great atmosphere. To bring it home is just amazing.”
ERGS team manager, Dee Colville, was also full of pride for the players: “As the team’s teacher, I am very proud of the squad as a collective.
“It has been an honour to see them develop over the years as both rugby players and individuals.
“It has also been a privilege to work alongside our parent coaches Ian Ross and Alastair Keys who have worked tirelessly with the girls over the past number of years imparting their knowledge to both the girls and myself.”
Ian Ross said the ERGS squad was a credit “to their school, their families and themselves”.
“The squad of 21/22 girls have been outstanding all year and the hardest thing was not being able to take them all to the Schools Cup Final. That was a hugely tough call for Alastair and myself.
“However, that being done, those who took to the pitch yesterday were exemplary both on and off the pitch.
“They are a credit to their school, their families and themselves and I’m so proud to have been involved with them over the past four to five years.
“Their games, and especially this final, have given me so many wonderful memories that I’ll never forget and to see my daughter Aimee as co-captain with Olivia, up there lifting the trophy was simply special.
“I could not be more happy for them. They are simply a special group of young ladies. I’ll certainly be sad to see 10 of them leave the squad after they’ve put in so much but the girls coming straight after them are up and ready for the challenge,” concluded Ian who is looking forward to the Irish National Championship game on April 24 in Dublin.
Finally, Player of the Match (POTM), Amy Meeke, summed up the whole experience both as a team and for her winning the individual award: “It was a huge mix of emotions from excitement to a bit of nerves walking on to the pitch for the first time. After having watched many Ulster games played there, it’s was very strange being one of the ones playing. From playing at normal rugby clubs week in week out, Ravenhill was just on another level. There is just an atmosphere that cannot be compared to.
“Winning the trophy was such an amazing feeling but knowing it was with such a great group of girls made it even better. It made all of our hard work and training throughout the year completely worth it .It is one of those moments you won’t forget the feeling of and it can’t be compared to.”
And on the Player of the Match Award she added: “Being named the POTM came as a surprise to me, I didn’t expect to get it as there were so many incredible players on that pitch. My priority was just to leave my all on the pitch and have no regrets, and to do the best I could for my team. It was validating in that it made me feel that my contribution to the game was noticed.”
RYAN Cathcart was captain in 2019 when Enniskillen Skins ended a barren spell of 82 years to lift the Towns Cup. Since then he has hung up the Skins jersey and taken on the role of strength and conditioning coach with the club. But he admits, he would love to still be pulling on the Enniskillen jersey as they prepare for another tilt at the Towns Cup when they take on Ballymena II in the final on Easter Monday.
He knows what it takes to lead a side to victory in the competition, something he will be bringing to the squad’s preparations in the lead-up to the final.
Looking back at the process back in 2019, Cathcart explained: “I had a fair idea about what didn’t work particularly well going into a final.
“We had lost the final in probably the three or four years leading up to that point. I had a fair idea about what didn’t work particularly well going into a final.
“One of the things was getting a little bit too emotional about the occasion and overhyping things.
“Whereas going through your process and trying to take the emotion out of it to a degree and just focus on your rugby.
“Because I certainly found everybody was too hyped already without getting into big emotional speeches which generally tend to get boys at boiling point.
“[Just] keep composure go through our method and our process and you can think about how much it means to you after the game.”
The former skipper is confident the current Skins squad can do this: “I think the team we have at the minute are incredibly consistent, a lot more than the team I played in.
“And I think they are fairly good at managing emotions and going through the process. They are well drilled that way and I think that is going to help them on the big day.”
‘Massive day’
The Towns Cup is a competition full of tradition. And it gives players the chance to etch their names in the history books for the clubs.
Cathcart knows there have been plenty of players who have gone through the Enniskillen club who have never picked up any silverware.
“It’s a massive day. Whenever I won we hadn’t won it since 1937, which is madness.
“So many legends from the club went through careers and didn’t come with any silverware from their time with Enniskillen so it was extremely meaningful and meaningful for older guys who had played for the club who were emotional about it. It was great.
“Our success in the league has probably overshadowed the importance of cup goals and